1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus that may be used to examine a living body. More particularly, it relates to apparatus that may be used for listening for body sounds and for receiving electrical signals from the body. It also relates to apparatus which have the capability of examining a body with ultrasound.
2. Prior Art
The stethoscope since its perfection in 1855 by a New York Physician, Dr. George Cammann, has remained relatively unchanged in the last two centuries. Not much has been done or modified from its basic design and function since then. The stethoscope as it is to date, is greatly limited by what it can do. In the examination of the heart, only sound can be appreciated. While helpful in certain limited clinical situation, sound tells the medical practitioner very little about the true characteristic of the heart, such as its conduction or electrical activities and its true physical state.
The general shape of the stethoscope underwent some minor improvements. However, what has remained constant for the past 150 years is the appearance. There is probably a good reason for this. Besides the white coat that is so symbolic of a doctor, it is the stethoscope instrument that easily identifies a health care professional. The stethoscope has been revered as a symbol of the medical profession and more specifically for the health care provider. In some ways, in terms of its symbolism, the shape of the stethoscope can be likened to the gavel a judge uses.
The entire book of Bates, which is the gold standard physical diagnostic book, stresses the fundamentals of acquiring good clinical skills using the traditional stethoscope. There are clinician that are presently being trained that will prefer the natural appreciation of detecting sound coming from the heart in its pure form, using the traditional method. To enhance this feature, two diaphragms have been used to channel natural heart sound to the right and left ear, respectively.
However, it is in the electrical activities of the heart that are most appropriate for detecting signs which tell the practitioner if a heart is healthy, or not. The practitioner searches for pathologies with respect to electrolytes disturbances, heart muscle damage and/or enlargement; conduction abnormalities (such as prolonged Q-T intervals); rate of the heart; rhythm, axis and more.
Due to their cumbersome nature (because of bulky machines, complex lead arrangements, or the need for a technician) of obtaining an ECG on the general population, one is not routinely done in common practice.
For the most part, an EKG is reserved for age specific population or for people with established or suspected cardiac illnesses. In both cases the study is usually formerly requested and time is the factor that most clinicians have to deal with.
Sonogram technology has been adapted to investigate all forms of pathologies within the abdomen and heart. In addition it has been used to access vascular diseases of the extremities such as deep vein thrombosis; which is a rather prevalent condition. As before with an EKG, the clinician is often at the mercy of the sonogram technician in obtaining, and in some cases interpreting sonogram data.